VUX World

In this episode, Kane Simms is joined by Katherine Munro, Conversational AI Engineer at Swisscom, for a deep dive into what might sound like an odd pairing: using LLMs to classify customer intents.Large Language Models (LLMs) are powerful, multi-purpose tools. But would you trust one to handle the precision of a classification task?It’s an unlikely fit for an LLM. Classifiers typically need to be fast, accurate, and interpretable. LLMs are slow, random black-boxes. Classifiers need to output a single label. LLMs never stop talking.And yet, there are good reasons to use LLMs for such tasks, and emerging architectures and techniques. Many real-world use cases need a classifier, and many data and product development teams will soon find themselves wondering: could GPT handle that?If that sounds like you, then check out this extended episode to explore how Switzerland’s largest telecommunications provider tackles this issue while building a next-generation AI assistant. This episode is brought to you by NLX.NLX is a conversational AI platform enabling brands to build and manage chat, voice and multimodal applications. NLX’s patented Voice+ technology synchronizes voice with digital channels, making it possible to automate complex use cases typically handled by a human agent. When a customer calls, the voice AI guides them to resolve their inquiry through self-service using the brand’s digital asset, resulting in automation and CSAT scores well above industry average. Just ask United Airlines.Shownotes:"The Handbook of Data Science and AI: Generate Value from Data with Machine Learning and Data Analytics" - Available on Amazon: https://a.co/d/3wNN9cvKatherine's website: http://katherine-munro.com/Subscribe to VUX World: https://vuxworld.typeform.com/to/Qlo5aaeWSubscribe to The AI Ultimatum Substack: https://open.substack.com/pub/kanesimmsGet in touch with Kane on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kanesimms/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, Kane is joined by Sonia Ingram, Global Director of AI at Pandora, to explore what it really takes to develop AI maturity in a global business.Many organisations aiming to get started with AI and generative AI often focus on short-term, point solutions to specific problems. This emergent strategy often led from the grassroots to solve siloed departmental pain points can work for proof of value. But it rarely scales.For example, a chatbot that handles returns brilliantly may not be equipped or supported to drive sales conversations. If the support team owns it, where’s the incentive to collaborate with sales to expand its capabilities?To scale AI initiatives enterprise-wide, businesses need a purposeful strategy. One that prioritises literacy, governance, tooling, and operational foundations that empower teams across the organisation to build, maintain and grow AI solutions.In this episode, Kane and Sonia explore what it really takes to build and scale AI maturity in a global business. We cover topics such as AI literacy, change management, privacy and governance, and operational tools and processes. This episode is brought to you by NLX.NLX is a conversational AI platform enabling brands to build and manage chat, voice and multimodal applications. NLX’s patented Voice+ technology synchronizes voice with digital channels, making it possible to automate complex use cases typically handled by a human agent. When a customer calls, the voice AI guides them to resolve their inquiry through self-service using the brand’s digital asset, resulting in automation and CSAT scores well above industry average. Just ask United Airlines.Subscribe to VUX World.Subscribe to The AI Ultimatum Substack. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, we chat with Andrei Papancea, CEO and Co-Founder of NLX, to cut through the noise and get real about where AI in the enterprise is delivering value, and where it's not.Andrei brings a refreshing dose of grounded perspective as the buzz around ‘agentic AI’ and generative everything reaches fever pitch. Instead of chasing trends or slapping AI onto every process, NLX is laser-focused on practical outcomes: real problems, solved efficiently, and with the right tech. We explore the challenges enterprise leaders face when navigating a market bloated with hype: internal pressures to ‘do AI,’ tech stacks that aren’t ready, and misunderstandings about what LLMs can and can’t do. Andrei shares where generative AI genuinely shines and where it is still too risky, especially for heavily regulated industries.This episode is brought to you by NLX.NLX is a conversational AI platform enabling brands to build and manage chat, voice and multimodal applications. NLX’s patented Voice+ technology synchronizes voice with digital channels, making it possible to automate complex use cases typically handled by a human agent. When a customer calls, the voice AI guides them to resolve their inquiry through self-service using the brand’s digital asset, resulting in automation and CSAT scores well above industry average. Just ask United Airlines.Subscribe to VUX World.Subscribe to The AI Ultimatum Substack. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this VUX World podcast episode with Kerry Phillipson, she reveals how Arriva Group transforms customer experience using cutting-edge AI technology. Learn how they're creating a virtual assistant that's not just another chatbot, but a smart, personable travel companion that understands your journey needs.Kerry shares with us how Arriva is driving AI innovation within the transportation sector. She explains how artificial intelligence is used to tackle real customer pain points, making travel smoother and more intuitive. The conversation also dives into what it takes to design an AI with a genuine personality one that feels more like a helpful guide than a machine. Looking ahead, they explore the future of travel support and how AI is reshaping the way customers interact with transportation services. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode on the VUX World podcast, we chat all about the innovative AI journey of Citizens Advice with Stuart Pearson.We discover how a nonprofit organisation is revolutionising customer support through Caddy, an intelligent AI assistant that reduces average handle time by 50% while maintaining a rigorous ethical approach.Stuart shares the meticulous process of developing an internal AI tool that supports contact centre agents, highlighting the importance of responsible AI implementation. From initial challenges with chatbots to creating a sophisticated AI solution, this podcast reveals how organisations can leverage artificial intelligence to enhance productivity, improve service delivery, and ultimately help more people.Subscribe to VUX World.Subscribe to The AI Ultimatum Substack. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, we dive deep into how NatWest uses generative AI to reshape customer service at scale, with Mark Worden, Strategy & Innovation Lead for Cora at NatWest.We explore how one of the UK’s biggest banks is building AI-driven customer journeys that are smarter, faster, and more efficient. From traditional NLU-based bots to cutting-edge Retrieval Augmented Generation (RAG) pipelines, Mark shares how Cora Plus achieves up to 99% accuracy and drastically reduces handoffs to human agents.Mark takes us inside NatWest’s pilot process - from narrowing 500 web pages down to a curated 120-item knowledge base to running internal tests, red-teaming for hallucinations, and prioritising customer consent and governance at every step. We also discover how NatWest’s summarisation tool transforms the agent experience by reducing transcript review time and saving over 50,000 minutes weekly in both agent and customer wait time. With 1.2 million conversations a month and counting, this is a masterclass in scaling AI responsibly within a highly regulated industry.Subscribe to VUX World.Subscribe to The AI Ultimatum Substack. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

AI is changing how businesses talk to customers, but how do you move beyond the hype and make AI work for your business? In this episode, we chat with Chafik Abdellaoui, Workforce and Quality Manager at Autodesk, about how AI is used in sales and customer experience and the real results.Autodesk is leveraging AI to analyse calls, generate follow-up emails and improve CRM data. AI is being used to make sales teams more efficient and effective. Chafik explains how AI is automating low-value tasks so sales reps can focus on what really matters: building relationships and closing deals. From extracting insights from conversations to drafting personalised emails and proposals, Autodesk’s approach is about enhancing and not replacing human expertise.But AI adoption isn’t always easy. We discuss the challenges of implementing AI in sales teams, including agent adoption, structured processes and data quality. We also ask the following question: As more companies deploy AI, do we end up with homogenous customer experiences, or is there still room for differentiation?Connect with Chafik Abdellaoui on LinkedIn.Subscribe to VUX World.Subscribe to The AI Ultimatum Substack. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, Panos Karagiannis, CEO of Moveo.AI, joins us to explore how AI has been reshaping business automation. Panos shares invaluable insights into what it takes to build production-ready AI agents, from scaling AI solutions across industries to navigating the complexities of enterprise adoption.We also dive deep into the real-world applications of Gen AI, the buy vs. build debate for enterprises, and the challenges of differentiation in a world where many businesses use the same foundational AI models. Plus, we discuss why quality assurance is the unsung hero of AI implementation and how companies can future-proof their AI strategies.Check out Moveo.AI Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

AI has made incredible strides, but is it truly user-friendly? In this episode, UX legend Jakob Nielsen joins VUX World to discuss why AI usability still lags behind and what needs to change. As the founder of UX Tigers and a pioneer in usability with 41 years of experience, Nielsen has shaped the field with groundbreaking contributions, including heuristic evaluation, Jakob’s Law, and the 10 usability heuristics. He has authored eight best-selling books, holds 79 patents, and was named “the king of usability” by Internet Magazine and “the guru of Web page usability" by The New York Times.We explore the challenges AI users face, from the articulation barrier to unclear system feedback, and why many AI products still prioritise engineering over usability. Nielsen also unpacks the impact of AI stigma, discussing how better design can build trust and encourage wider adoption. Drawing on his vast expertise, he explains why usability heuristics are more relevant than ever in the AI era.Finally, we discuss the future of AI usability and what it takes to create AI-powered tools that people actually want to use. From improving AI-human collaboration to eliminating confusing interfaces, this conversation is packed with insights for anyone working in AI, UX, or product design.Check out Jakobs LinkedIn Read ‘What is agentic AI? A deeply researched definition’ on The AI Ultimatum SubstackRead ‘AI Agents are not a technology. They are a strategy’ on AgentsDecoded SubstackSubscribe to VUX WorldSubscribe to The AI Ultimatum Substack Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This is an interview with Ronald Ashri, Co-Founder of OpenDialog. We discuss the evolving landscape of conversational AI. Ron shares how OpenDialog has progressed since our last conversation in 2021, highlighting the transformative impact of large language models and generative AI on the enterprise automation space.We dive into the nuances of defining "AI agents", calling out the hype and misuse of the term and putting a few of the well-known tech companies on the chopping block! We chat about how OpenDialog leverages AI agent-based abstractions and goal-driven architectures to build more reliable and effective conversational systems, striking a balance between the flexibility of language models and the constraints of business processes.The conversation also explores the future of conversational interfaces, touching on the potential to blend language AI, dynamic user interfaces, and orchestrated experiences to create seamless, multi-modal interactions. It’s a thought-provoking perspective on the current state of the industry and the practical steps organisations can take to harness the power of generative AI in business.Check out OpenDialog: https://opendialog.ai/ Subscribe to VUX World: https://vux/world/subscribe Read ‘What is agentic AI? A deeply researched definition’ on The AI Ultimatum Substack: https://kanesimms.substack.com/p/what-agentic-ai-actually-is-a-deeply?r=g9nf Read ‘AI Agents are not a technology. They are a strategy’ on agentsdecoded Substack: https://www.agentsdecoded.com/p/ai-agents-are-not-a-technology-they Our 15 AI Trends in CX Insights Report is out now! Learn how to find success with AI: https://vux.world/customer-experience-trends-2025/?utm_source=vux&utm_medium=Podcast&utm_campaign=Trends2025 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this podcast with Sarah Haider, Digital Manager for Conversational AI at Salzburg AG, we explore the journey of revolutionising customer interactions with AI. From the early days of NLU-based chatbots to embracing generative AI and retrieval-augmented generation technology, Sarah outlines the challenges and breakthroughs in enhancing Salzburg AG’s digital assistant capabilities.Chapters:00:00: Introduction to Sarah Haider and Salzburg AG05:23: Why is AI appealing for the energy industry?08:32: The history of AI at Salzburg AG12:00: Measuring success pre-generative AI16:25: Goals of exploring generative AI19:50: Starting with Retrieval Augmented Generation (RAG)24:10: Full RAG implementation process39:45: Lessons in prompt design44:45: Quality assurance tactics48:25: Impact of generative AI 51:20: Other use cases for generative AIThe conversation highlights the strategic shift to generative AI, tackling complex use cases like public transport queries while maintaining customer satisfaction and reliability. Sarah dives into the importance of data preparation, prompt design, testing, and quality assurance, shedding light on what it takes to make AI solutions scalable and effective in real-world scenarios.This episode is perfect for anyone looking to modernise their chatbot or explore the potential of AI in customer experience. From reducing call centre volume to delivering human-like interactions, Sarah's approach demonstrates how innovation can elevate both business impact and customer satisfaction.Subscribe to VUX World: https://vux/world/subscribe Subscribe to The AI Ultimatum Substack: https://open.substack.com/pub/kanesimms Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

From the rise of ChatGPT to the death of intent classification, Alan shares insights into how modern AI systems, like Rasa's CALM approach, are reshaping enterprise workflows and user experiences.Alan shares how Rasa's innovative platform integrates large language models with structured business logic, and is able to deliver robust, reliable, and natural conversations. Alan highlights the balance between deterministic workflows and flexible AI, debunking myths about agentic AI and discussing the critical role of context and understanding.This episode is packed with actionable insights and a visionary outlook on where the industry is headed!Visit Alan's LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/anichol/Find out more about Rasa - https://rasa.com/Subscribe to VUX World: https://vux/world/subscribe Read ‘What is agentic AI? A deeply researched definition’ on The AI Ultimatum Substack: https://kanesimms.substack.com/p/what-agentic-ai-actually-is-a-deeply?r=g9nf Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This episode features Noam Fine, co-founder and CEO of Hear.ai. Noam is a serial entrepreneur with multiple exits, having most recently founded Over.ai, which was acquired by Vonage in 2019.In this conversation, we delve into the transformative potential of generative AI in the contact center. Not for automating conversations with customers, but for turning these conversations into insights. Insights that can lead to tremendous improvements in customer experience, and business growth.We explore how generative AI can enable new mindsets and move beyond incremental improvements, fundamentally reshaping the way organisations approach customer service and support.At the heart of the conversation is the concept of the "Customer Value Exchange" (CVX) - the idea of turning contact centers from traditional cost centers into strategic value centers that can provide invaluable insights to drive business growth.We discuss the details behind the hear.ai platform and how it leverages a unique blend of small and large language models, as well as fine-tuned models, to achieve reliability and cost-efficiency in analysing customer interactions.This episode offers a glimpse into the transformative power of generative AI in the contact center industry, showcasing how innovative solutions like the Here AI platform can redefine the customer experience landscape and drive tangible business impact.Visit Noam's LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/noamfine/Read our 15 AI Trends in Customer Experience 2025 - https://vux.world/customer-experience-trends-2025/?utm_source=vux&utm_medium=Podcast&utm_campaign=Trends2025Be sure to check out hear.ai - https://www.linkedin.com/company/hear-ai/posts/?feedView=allSign up to the VUX World Newsletter - https://vuxworld.typeform.com/to/Qlo5aaeW?typeform-source=www.linkedin.comSign up to our Substack - https://kanesimms.substack.com?utm_source=navbar&utm_medium=web Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Join us as we dive into the evolving landscape of customer experience with Alannah Martin, Value Owner at Ovo Energy. From applying Lean Six Sigma principles to tackling inefficiencies, to scaling conversational AI for real-world impact, we explore how technology and human-centric design drive innovation in service industries. Discover the secrets behind successful chatbots, operational alignment, and reducing cognitive load for both customers and employees. Whether you’re a CX enthusiast or an automation advocate, this episode is packed with actionable insights and forward-thinking strategies for the new age of customer engagement. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Mike Myer is the CEO and Co-Founder of Quiq, the generative AI conversational automation platform that's been making noise in recent months, with a flurry of genAI use cases in production with a whole host of enterprise brands. Mike joins me to discuss where we are with agentic AI adoption and trends he's observed in 2024 as well as forecasted trends and considerations for 2025. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Every big tech company is working on foundational generative AI models and promises that the future will be different. Yet…Large Enterprises have generative AI policies in place now that prohibit the usage of the technology. There is a gap in the middle on an opportunity emerging surrounding quality assurance and governance for generative AI applications that will enable the technology to meet its potential whilst satisfying the concerns of enterprise.The company that is uniquely positioned to take advantage of this is Cyara. So I sat down with CEO Rishi Rana to discuss this and much more.Make sure to visit Cyara Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Generative AI is often marketed as a magical tool—just upload your data and let the model do the heavy lifting. But the reality is far from simple. Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) doesn’t work without thoughtful preparation, clear strategy, and, most importantly, quality content.In this episode, we dive deep into the critical role content plays in the success of AI systems like RAG. Join us as we speak with seasoned content strategists and AI industry experts who have been on the frontlines of managing and optimizing knowledge bases for AI use cases. We’ll explore why the future of AI isn’t about replacing writers—it’s about empowering content designers, technical writers, and knowledge architects to create structured, optimized, and actionable information that AI can truly work with.If you’ve ever wondered why your AI project underdelivered or how to transform legacy content into a powerful AI resource, this episode is for you. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dmitry is the CEO of MindStudio, an AI automation platform that's raised $36m in funding to bring AI automation into the hands of businesses. With a background at Google and ServiceNow, Dmitry has a wealth of experience in building product teams that delivery immense value. He joins me today to share how MindStudio is enabling AI transformation across the board.This episode is sponsored by Intel® Core Ultra processors and the Intel vPro® platform. Elevate your business with AI-powered PCs from Intel full of enhanced features like improved productivity, enhanced battery life, and integrated Arc graphics.​Supercharge your company today. Discover more: https://intel.ly/3A3Ziwq ​Visit - https://www.mindstudio.ai/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Join us as Stephan Schuessler dives into the exciting world of AI in the enterprise. In this discussion, we explore how to effectively launch AI initiatives within organizations, navigating the challenges that often arise. Whether you're just starting your AI journey or looking to optimize existing projects, this conversation will provide actionable strategies for driving AI adoption and long-term success in the enterprise.This episode is sponsored by Intel® Core Ultra processors and the Intel vPro® platform. Elevate your business with AI-powered PCs from Intel full of enhanced features like improved productivity, enhanced battery life, and integrated Arc graphics.​Supercharge your company today. Discover more: https://intel.ly/3A3Ziwq ​ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jeremy Kahn has reported extensively on #technology and business covering #AI for the last years, first at Bloomberg and currently at #Fortune with excellent contacts across the field. Mastering AI: A Survival Guide to Our Superpowered Future, by Kahn, is a timely exploration of the transformative impact of #ChatGPT and the rapid advancements in artificial intelligence. We chat about AI's potential to disrupt industries, reshape society, and challenge our understanding of human intelligence. As AI becomes an integral part of our world, Kahn's expertise offers a crucial perspective on navigating both its benefits and risks.This episode is sponsored by Intel® Core Ultra processors and the Intel vPro® platform. Elevate your business with AI-powered PCs from Intel full of enhanced features like improved productivity, enhanced battery life, and integrated Arc graphics.​Supercharge your company today. Discover more: https://intel.ly/3A3Ziwq ​ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.